Bright Angel Point
North Rim, Grand Canyon, AZ
BRIGHT ANGEL POINT
A BRIEF SUMMARY OF BRIGHT ANGEL POINT
So you wanna getaway…
I have traveled to over half the national parks in the country and the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park is one of my favorites. It is an oasis in the desert and the pinnacle of this wonderful place is the view from Bright Angel Point.
The North Rim is NOT your traditional tourist attraction. It has little to no cell service, one restaurant, no grocery store, one gas station, and there is very little to do. It is 80 miles from the closest town, and 6-8 hours from the nearest major airport. There are only two campsites and one lodge (built in the 1920’s, where you actually sleep in cabins) and you can forget Starbucks. The only place to get coffee in the morning is at the Saloon, where they still pour it from a pot.
The North Rim is the opposite of the South Rim in almost every way. It has MUCH smaller crowds, and it is located in pine tree forest. It is cool in the summer and closed in the winter. It is over a 1,000 ft higher (almost 2,000 at Point Imperial) than the South Rim, and the mood is slow and relaxing.
The National Parks Services describes the North Rim of the Grand Canyon as “A worthwhile trip for those who enjoy the road less traveled. The North Rim, or Other Side of Grand Canyon, is visited by only 10% of all Grand Canyon visitors”.
Music to my ears…
Images and location summary by Tim Wier
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DATA POINTS INCLUDED WITH BRIGHT ANGEL POINT SUMMARY
I would rate the difficulty of this trail as a 2 on a scale of 1-5 (with 5 being most difficult). The hike from the North Rim Visitor center to the end of Bright Angel Point is an easy 1/4 mile on a paved walkway. The hike has some undulations, but for the most part it is a modest hike.
The most difficult part about photographing from Bright Angel Point is finding a place to capture the unreal view you are looking at. Like other places in the Grand Canyon, sometimes the grandeur of the canyon can be overwhelming and difficult to find a single location to capture the essence of the location.
I would suggest arriving an hour or so before you shooting time (try to visualize the canyon under different light) and pick the composition that is right for you …
The compositions at and around Bright Angel Point are endless. The obvious shot would be a grand vista using a moderate to wide angle lens (16-35mm). However, I have seen several great shots with a medium to telephoto lens. The image above was made by stitching together 3 shots vertically with a 24mm lens and panoramic tools.
8,905 Ft. Elevation
Other Resources Available with Membership
KMZ Trail File
Directions
Best Time of Day to Shoot
Best Time of Year to Shoot
Equipment Needed
Permits Required
Direction of Shot
Google Maps Birds-Eye-View
Number of Photographers to Expect
Cell Service
Overnight Lodging/Camping
Nearby Restaurants
Area Guides and Workshops
Other Resources
LOCATION SUMMARIES WRITTEN BY PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHERS
